The invention relates to a parabolic concentrator type solar module system having a support structure and at least one solar module or reflector element which can be arranged on the support structure. Solar module systems such as these are in use in widely different embodiments as photovoltaic systems and thermal solar collector systems. For simplicity, in the present case, the expression solar module covers both photovoltaic modules and thermal solar collector modules.
Published German specification DE 100 41 271 A1 discloses a roof cover or wall cladding composed of self-supporting sheet-metal panels, to the outside of which a photovoltaic module, which is protected by an outer covering layer composed of a translucent plastic, is applied. A system with controlled heat dissipation and/or heat supply is kept in thermally conductive contact with the sheet-metal panels, from underneath the panels. The photovoltaic module may be applied to the respective sheet-metal panel as a flexible composite film over the entire area. Similar photovoltaic module laminates for mounting flat on a support layer by pressing or adhesive bonding, or in a self-adhesive embodiment, are described respectively in published specification WO 01/67523 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,729 B1.
Published British specification GB 2 340 993 A describes a photovoltaic structure in which a module mount is formed comprising a lower, flat steel plate, a steel plate arranged at a distance from it with the interposition of an insulating material and profiled in a corrugating shape forming a duct, and an upper flat steel plate placed thereon. A photovoltaic flat module is applied to the upper steel plate. The hollow ducts, which are formed between the profiled steel plate forming the duct and the upper steel plate, act as cooling ducts.
As is known, apart from non-concentrating flat-module systems, concentrating solar module systems are also in commercial use, for example of the so-called V-trough type, see for example US published specification 2003/0201007 A1 and WO/2004/114419 A1, and of the parabolic concentrated type, see for example the Conference Proceedings Articles by C. K. Weatherby et al., Further Development and Field Test Results of Two Low-Material-Cost Parabolic-Trough PV Concentrators, 2nd World Conference and Exhibition on Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion, Jul. 6 to 10, 1998, Vienna, Austria, page 2189 and F. Dobon et. al., Controlled Atmosphere PV Concentrator (CAC), 17th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, Oct. 22 to 26, 2001, Munich, Germany, page 668.
Published German specification DE 2557296 A1 discloses a solar module system of the parabolic concentrator type primarily for space flight applications, in which a plurality of parabolic mirror strips, which are arranged alongside one another, are held in a frame structure with side walls and lateral strips. The frame structure itself is mounted on one lateral face via a holding apparatus on a satellite body such that it can move. Solar cell strips are thermally conductively attached to the rear face of each mirror strip. The rear faces of the mirror strips are designed to emit heat, in order to cool the solar cell strips.
A similar solar module system for space flight applications is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,496. In the system there, parabolic mirror strips are likewise arranged alongside one another and/or one behind the other in a frame structure composed of side walls, and are provided with a respective solar cell strip on their rear face. In one embodiment, the mirror strips which are located one behind the other are formed integrally by a reflector element in the form of a corrugated metal sheet, one of whose corrugation flanks forms the parabolic mirror surfaces with a solar cell strip mounted on the rear face, and whose other corrugation flanks are each provided with a recess in the form of a slot, in order that the reflected light passes through the slots to the solar cell strips. In another embodiment, the mirror elements are in the form of individual elements tilted up along the lower side edge and tilted around toward the rear on the upper side edge, and are inserted one behind the other into a trough with bottom walls and side walls such that a slot remains open between the top bend of one element and the bottom upward bend of a next element, in order that reflected light can pass through this slot onto a solar cell strip which is in each case fitted at the rear.
The technical problem on which the invention is based is to provide a solar module system of the type mentioned initially which can be produced with comparatively little manufacturing effort and is also suitable for relatively large-scale installations in large power stations, in the open air, and for building integration on roofs and facades.
The invention solves this problem by providing a solar module system designed specifically as a parabolic concentrator system, in which a plurality of support profiles are arranged alongside one another in the form of self-supporting hollow-chamber profiles, with the hollow-chamber profile having a reflector functional area on the front face and a solar module functional area on a side facing away from the front face. This makes it possible, for example, to produce concentrator systems of the parabolic reflector type in a relatively simple manner by radiation which is incident on the front face being reflected by a respective reflector element on a support profile such that it is concentrated on a solar module, averted from the front face, of an adjacent support profile. In this case, the expression “self-supporting” means, as one skilled in the art in this field would understand, a configuration of the support profile chosen such that the support profile supports itself with the element or elements fitted thereto over a certain span width of typically up to several meters in the present applications of solar module systems, for example, between approximately 2 m and 10 m, without any need to provide a close-meshed sub-structure, to be precise including the support loads to be calculated in during operation, in this case in particular resulting from wind and snow loads. The support profile with this meaning consequently does not require any sub-structure longitudinal supports and, for lengths which are typically used in this application, generally requires only one central or two end supports, which in the latter case can typically be drawn in somewhat, that is to say with a short separation which is much less than the support profile length.
In one advantageous development of the invention, which is advantageous from the manufacturing point of view, the support profiles are in the form of extruded profiles, strand-drawn profiles or roll-formed profiles.
Advantageous materials for the support profiles are specified herein.
In a refinement of the invention, a heat dissipation structure is provided on the support profile and is thermally conductively connected to the solar module and/or reflector functional area. The integrated heat dissipation structure of the support profiles provides a desired cooling function, with little complexity, for solar modules and/or reflector elements that are fitted. For example, it can be produced in a simple manner from a manufacturing point of view by a longitudinal rib structure in the form of an integral part on the support profile.
In a further development of the invention, the support profile has one or more heating or cooling medium ducts and/or ducts for lines to pass through. The heating or cooling medium ducts can be used for a liquid or gaseous heating or cooling medium to be passed through, in order to cool or else to heat the support profile, as required. The ducts for lines to pass through can be used for electrical lines to pass through.
In a still further development of the invention, each hollow-chamber profile is formed from a plurality of profiled parts which are plugged together on the longitudinal side. This makes it possible to simplify both manufacture and installation of the system, especially for applications with relatively large-area reflectors.
In a yet still further development of the invention, each hollow-chamber profile has a line-focus parabolic reflector surface which is continuous in the longitudinal direction, that is to say incident solar radiation is focused or concentrated by this parabolic concentrator reflector functional area onto a line which runs in the support profile longitudinal direction or a corresponding strip of finite width. In an alternative development of the invention, each hollow-chamber profile has a plurality of separate point-focus parabolic reflector surfaces which are arranged alongside one another in the longitudinal direction. Each of these point-focus reflector elements focuses or concentrates incident radiation on a point or a spot where a corresponding solar module element is accordingly located. When required, this alternative embodiment allows an even greater concentration level or greater savings of active solar module area.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention will be described in the following and are illustrated in the drawings.